Perform a Clean Boot & Antivirus Scan
Third-party software conflicts, overlay apps, or malware-injected DLLs can hijack application loading. Clean boot isolates them.
Step-by-Step
- 1
Press Win + R, type msconfig, press Enter.
- 2
Services tab → check "Hide all Microsoft services" → click "Disable all".
- 3
Startup tab → click "Open Task Manager" → Disable ALL startup items (Discord, Steam, NVIDIA Overlay, RGB software, etc.).
- 4
Click OK → Restart.
- 5
Test your application. If it works now, one of the disabled services/startup items is the culprit.
- 6
Re-enable services/startup items in halves (binary search method) to identify the exact culprit.
- 7
Also run a full antivirus scan: Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options → Full scan.
Malwarebytes FreeSecond-opinion malware scan - 8
Malware commonly injects into DLL loading chains. Use Malwarebytes (free) as a second opinion scan.
How to Verify It Worked
- Application launches successfully in Clean Boot mode.
- Full scan shows 0 threats.
Still Not Working?
If clean boot does not help, the issue is core system corruption. Run Fix #6 (SFC + DISM) or consider a Windows repair install.